Without natural resources such as coal, oil or gas, Japan is the second-largest net importer of fossil fuels, much of it from Australia.
Brimming with charm reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli film, Kusatsu is famous for its Yubatake, or "hot water field", where thousands of litres of naturally occurring hot water flow through the village centre every minute.It's so important the council is leading a charge to get onsen recognised by the United Nations' peak cultural body, UNESCO.
"We would be finished. Kusatsu Onsen exists on onsen. It would be too risky to drill too close to Kusatsu Onsen."former head of the influential Japan Spa Association, Masao Oyama, once referred to geothermal power as "devil energy" "These days it's possible to develop energy and maintain the environment, but the Ministry of the Environment doesn't understand it. It's gradually improving, but it's difficult to get approval."
Rising power bills has softened opposition to restoring nuclear power capacity, but a recent poll in Asahi newspaper found 42 per cent of respondents were still opposed to restarting reactors.Professor Ehara said geothermal power had proven to be safe, including in the event of an earthquake. In the area surrounding Waita Village, in Kyushu, small geothermal power generators dot the landscape alongside ryokan hotels.Ryokan owner Kazuaki Kumagai has two 50 kilowatt generators, enough to provide electricity to around 200 homes, providing a nice financial boost to his business.He said building community trust was the key to its success."We made a promise that if the monitoring showed any abnormalities beyond a certain level, we would immediately shut down the power plant.